Robots won't look like Asimov envisioned...

Google and Tesla aren't the only companies working on self-driving 'robot' cars. Nissan has just gotten approval for a semi-autonomous (for now -- the goal is complete autonomy) LEAF electric car to do be tested on the public roads in Japan. Nissan's CEO, Carlos Ghosn, personally tool delivery of the special license plate that was made for the car. It shows the numbers 20-20, which is symbolic of Nissan's goal of having "multiple, commercially-viable Autonomous Drive vehicles by the year 2020."

The Nissan LEAF to be tested is capable of a number of functions, including:

Lane keeping

Automatic Exit

Automatic lane change

Automatic overtaking slower or stopped vehicles

Automatic deceleration behind congestion on freeways

Automatic stopping at red lights

Nissan Executive Vice President for Research and Development, Mitsuhiko Yamashita, said: “The realization of the Autonomous Drive system is one of our greatest goals, because Zero Fatalities stands alongside Zero Emissions as major objective of Nissan's R&D. Through public road testing, we will further develop the safety, efficiency and reliability of our technology."